Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit, 12715-12716 [2011-5236]
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srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2011 / Notices
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), has primary
responsibility for managing fisheryrelated activities. These agencies are
required to consult with the Secretary of
Defense, the United States (U.S.) Coast
Guard, and the Government of the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands in managing the monument. A
subsequent Secretary of the Interior
action on January 16, 2009, delegated
management responsibilities for the
monument to the Fish and Wildlife
Service through, and placed two of the
units (the Mariana Trench and Volcanic
Units) within, the National Wildlife
Refuge System as the Mariana Trench
and Mariana Arc of Fire National
Wildlife Refuges.
Management activities are anticipated
to include public education programs
and public outreach regarding the coral
reef ecosystem and related marine
resources and species of the monument
and efforts to conserve them; traditional
access by indigenous persons, for
culturally significant subsistence,
cultural and religious uses within the
monument; a program to assess and
promote monument-related scientific
exploration and research, tourism, and
recreational and economic activities and
opportunities in the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); a
process to consider requests for
recreational fishing permits in certain
areas of the Islands Unit, based on an
analysis of the likely effects of such
fishing on the marine ecosystems of
these areas, sound professional
judgment that such fishing will not
materially interfere with or detract from
the fulfillment of the purposes of this
proclamation, and the extent to which
such recreational fishing shall be
managed as a sustainable activity;
programs for monitoring and
enforcement necessary to ensure that
scientific exploration and research,
tourism, and recreational and
commercial activities do not degrade the
monument’s coral reef ecosystem or
related marine resources or species or
diminish the monument’s natural
character.
The Human Dimensions Research
Program at NOAA Fisheries Pacific
Islands Fisheries Science Center is
initiating a survey to support
development of a management plan for
the Monument. Designation of the
Monument was accompanied by social
debate over the merits of designation,
the economic benefits, increased
Federal management in the archipelago,
the impacts to fishermen and fishing
communities, and other effects. Now
that the Monument has been established
and management planning is beginning,
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:12 Mar 07, 2011
Jkt 223001
there is a need for research to define
CNMI and Guam residents’ management
preferences and perceptions of effects so
this information is available to managers
as they develop and begin to implement
the plan. The survey contains questions
on awareness, knowledge, and attitudes
regarding the Monument, preferences
for management and scientific research,
and level of interest in becoming
involved in Monument management
and outreach activities. Additional
questions include experiences with and
attitudes toward existing uses of coastal
and marine resources, to provide a
context for interpreting responses
regarding the Monument.
II. Method of Collection
Data will be collected through a
telephone survey of a random sample of
adult members of Guam and CNMI
households.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: None.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Individuals or
households.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
800.
Estimated Time per Response: 20
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 267.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $0.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;
they also will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: March 3, 2011.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011–5150 Filed 3–7–11; 8:45 am]
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12715
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[0648–XA239]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
The Assistant Regional
Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Northeast Region, NMFS, has made a
preliminary determination that the
subject exempted fishing permit (EFP)
application contains all the required
information and warrants further
consideration. The subject EFP would
allow commercial fishing vessels to
conduct fishing operations that are
otherwise restricted by the regulations
governing the fisheries of the
Northeastern United States. Regulations
under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
require publication of this notification
to provide interested parties the
opportunity to comment on applications
for proposed EFPs.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before March 23, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted by e-mail to
NERO.EFP@noaa.gov. Written
comments should be sent to Patricia A.
Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS,
Northeast Regional Office, 55 Great
Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.
Mark the outside of the envelope
‘‘Comments on the REDNET EFP.’’
Comments may also be sent via
facsimile (fax) to (978) 281–9135.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Travis Ford, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281–9233, fax (978)
281–9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maine
Department of Marine Resources (DMR)
has submitted an EFP application for
five vessels participating in a study
titled, ‘‘REDNET: A Network to
Redevelop a Sustainable Redfish
(Sebastes fasciatus) Trawl Fishery in the
Gulf of Maine (GOM)’’. This project is
funded by the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center’s (NEFSC) Cooperative
Research Program. The primary
objective of this study is to devise
strategies and means to efficiently
harvest the redfish resource in the Gulf
of Maine (GOM) while avoiding nonSUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
08MRN1
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
12716
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2011 / Notices
target catch. The proposed work is to
meet the following objectives: Catch and
bycatch assessment of a targeted redfish
fishery; bottom trawl mesh size
evaluation and optimization for targeted
redfish catch retention and reduction of
juvenile redfish and other bycatch;
redfish processing and marketing
evaluation and strategies; and outreach
and implementation of the project
results. The anticipated results of the
project are defined gear type(s) and/or
time/area combinations that maximize
the long-term benefit from the redfish
resource while minimizing negative
impacts, thereby providing a means to
achieve the Acceptable Catch Limit
(ACL) for a rebuilt, but largely
inaccessible, redfish resource.
The EFP would exempt the vessels
from the following regulations
implementing the Northeast (NE)
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan
(FMP): NE multispecies minimum fish
size for redfish, specified at 50 CFR
648.83(a); and minimum mesh size of
6.5 inches (16.5 cm) for multispecies
vessels fishing in the GOM specified at
50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(i). In addition,
vessels would be exempt from the
following regulations for other
groundfish species for sampling
purposes only: Other minimum fish size
restrictions; fish possession limits;
species quota closures; prohibited fish
species, not including species protected
under the Endangered Species Act; and
gear-specific fish possession
restrictions. All non-compliant fish
would be discarded as soon as
practicable following data collection.
These exemptions would allow
investigators to evaluate the optimal
mesh size to harvest legal-sized redfish
(22.9 cm; 9 inches) while minimizing
bycatch, and to selectively harvest
redfish.
Baseline data would be collected by
means of 10 days of experimental
redfish fishing under this EFP using
10.16-cm (4-inch) mesh in the codend of
a standard groundfish trawl. Based on
initial sampling, investigators intend to
refine sampling levels, times, and areas
as the project progresses. Investigators
will review potential sources of
variability and evaluate them in terms of
their potential effects on results.
Sources of variability include: Area
fished; seasonal availability; life stage;
time of day; gear; and towing speed.
Catches of all legal-sized species (target
and non-target) will count against the
appropriate groundfish sector
allocation. No fish below the minimum
fish size will be landed.
During the initial experimental
fishing, fishermen will be asked to fish
in a commercial manner using
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:12 Mar 07, 2011
Jkt 223001
groundfish trawl nets equipped with a
10.16-cm (4-inch) mesh codend to
maximize their legal-sized redfish
catches and minimize discards. The
fishermen will attempt to identify
schools of redfish, set the net, catch the
school, and haul back. This protocol
will reduce the likelihood of towing
between schools and thereby reduce
bycatch based on historical experience.
Project investigators and/or
technicians will be on board every
experimental fishing trip and will
document all catch and bycatch
encountered following NE Fishery
Observer Program protocols. Project
personnel will estimate, when
necessary, the total catch of legal and
sublegal redfish per tow (separately),
and then identify and weigh all other
species. If there is a very large catch, the
observers will follow NMFS subsampling protocols. Lengths of 100
individuals will be collected for redfish
and other regulated species, with subsampling if necessary. Up to six tows
will be made per trip. Tows will last
between approximately 30 minutes and
1 hour, at a speed of between 3–3.5
knots, which conforms to normal fishing
operations.
Bycatch and non-target species will be
quantified using the ‘‘Standardized
Bycatch Reporting Methodology’’
developed as part of the national
bycatch initiative. Selectivity by size
will be estimated using the ratios of
cumulative size distributions from the
baseline observer samples to the
cumulative size distribution of redfish
in NEFSC trawl surveys during the same
period. Data will be entered into Excel
and uploaded into the DMR biological
database (MARVIN) and then
transferred to NMFS and other project
partners.
The initial experimental fishing
activity is scheduled to start in March
2011. Ten experimental fishing days are
planned over two trips of 5 days each.
This initial phase will be completed by
the end of April 2011. Based on the data
gathered through this effort, the next 30
experimental fishing days would be
allocated among the remaining three
quarters of the year. It is possible that,
after the initial 10 days, the project
partners will decide 4-inch mesh is not
ideal, and a larger mesh might be
selected for the remaining trials. All
experimental fishing activity is
scheduled to be complete by April 2012.
If approved, the applicants may
request minor modifications and
extensions to the EFP throughout the
course of research. EFP modifications
and extensions may be granted without
further public notice if they are deemed
essential to facilitate completion of the
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Sfmt 4703
proposed research and result in only a
minimal change in the scope or impacts
of the initially approved EFP request.
In accordance with NAO
Administrative Order 216–6, a
Categorical Exclusion or other
appropriate National Environmental
Policy Act document would be
completed prior to the issuance of the
EFP. Further review and consultation
may be necessary before a final
determination is made to issue the EFP.
After publication of this document in
the Federal Register, the EFP, if
approved, may become effective
following the public comment period.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 3, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–5236 Filed 3–7–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Meeting of the Board of Visitors of
Marine Corps University
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice of open meeting.
The Board of Visitors of the
Marine Corps University (BOV MCU)
will meet to review, develop and
provide recommendations on all aspects
of the academic and administrative
policies of the University; examine all
aspects of professional military
education operations; and provide such
oversight and advice, as is necessary, to
facilitate high educational standards
and cost effective operations. The Board
will be focusing primarily on the
internal procedures of Marine Corps
University. All sessions of the meeting
will be open to the public.
SUMMARY:
The meeting will be held on
Friday, April 8, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m.
DATES:
The meeting will be held at
Marine Corps University President’s
Conference Room (Hooper Room). The
address is: 2076 South Street, Quantico,
Virginia 22134.
ADDRESSES:
Joel
Westa, Director of Academic Support,
Marine Corps University Board of
Visitors, 2076 South Street, Quantico,
Virginia 22134, telephone number 703–
784–4037.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
08MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12715-12716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5236]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[0648-XA239]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination
that the subject exempted fishing permit (EFP) application contains all
the required information and warrants further consideration. The
subject EFP would allow commercial fishing vessels to conduct fishing
operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations governing
the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. Regulations under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require
publication of this notification to provide interested parties the
opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 23, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by e-mail to NERO.EFP@noaa.gov.
Written comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 55 Great Republic
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope
``Comments on the REDNET EFP.'' Comments may also be sent via facsimile
(fax) to (978) 281-9135.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Travis Ford, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9233, fax (978) 281-9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maine Department of Marine Resources
(DMR) has submitted an EFP application for five vessels participating
in a study titled, ``REDNET: A Network to Redevelop a Sustainable
Redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) Trawl Fishery in the Gulf of Maine
(GOM)''. This project is funded by the Northeast Fisheries Science
Center's (NEFSC) Cooperative Research Program. The primary objective of
this study is to devise strategies and means to efficiently harvest the
redfish resource in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) while avoiding non-
[[Page 12716]]
target catch. The proposed work is to meet the following objectives:
Catch and bycatch assessment of a targeted redfish fishery; bottom
trawl mesh size evaluation and optimization for targeted redfish catch
retention and reduction of juvenile redfish and other bycatch; redfish
processing and marketing evaluation and strategies; and outreach and
implementation of the project results. The anticipated results of the
project are defined gear type(s) and/or time/area combinations that
maximize the long-term benefit from the redfish resource while
minimizing negative impacts, thereby providing a means to achieve the
Acceptable Catch Limit (ACL) for a rebuilt, but largely inaccessible,
redfish resource.
The EFP would exempt the vessels from the following regulations
implementing the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan
(FMP): NE multispecies minimum fish size for redfish, specified at 50
CFR 648.83(a); and minimum mesh size of 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) for
multispecies vessels fishing in the GOM specified at 50 CFR
648.80(a)(3)(i). In addition, vessels would be exempt from the
following regulations for other groundfish species for sampling
purposes only: Other minimum fish size restrictions; fish possession
limits; species quota closures; prohibited fish species, not including
species protected under the Endangered Species Act; and gear-specific
fish possession restrictions. All non-compliant fish would be discarded
as soon as practicable following data collection. These exemptions
would allow investigators to evaluate the optimal mesh size to harvest
legal-sized redfish (22.9 cm; 9 inches) while minimizing bycatch, and
to selectively harvest redfish.
Baseline data would be collected by means of 10 days of
experimental redfish fishing under this EFP using 10.16-cm (4-inch)
mesh in the codend of a standard groundfish trawl. Based on initial
sampling, investigators intend to refine sampling levels, times, and
areas as the project progresses. Investigators will review potential
sources of variability and evaluate them in terms of their potential
effects on results. Sources of variability include: Area fished;
seasonal availability; life stage; time of day; gear; and towing speed.
Catches of all legal-sized species (target and non-target) will count
against the appropriate groundfish sector allocation. No fish below the
minimum fish size will be landed.
During the initial experimental fishing, fishermen will be asked to
fish in a commercial manner using groundfish trawl nets equipped with a
10.16-cm (4-inch) mesh codend to maximize their legal-sized redfish
catches and minimize discards. The fishermen will attempt to identify
schools of redfish, set the net, catch the school, and haul back. This
protocol will reduce the likelihood of towing between schools and
thereby reduce bycatch based on historical experience.
Project investigators and/or technicians will be on board every
experimental fishing trip and will document all catch and bycatch
encountered following NE Fishery Observer Program protocols. Project
personnel will estimate, when necessary, the total catch of legal and
sublegal redfish per tow (separately), and then identify and weigh all
other species. If there is a very large catch, the observers will
follow NMFS sub-sampling protocols. Lengths of 100 individuals will be
collected for redfish and other regulated species, with sub-sampling if
necessary. Up to six tows will be made per trip. Tows will last between
approximately 30 minutes and 1 hour, at a speed of between 3-3.5 knots,
which conforms to normal fishing operations.
Bycatch and non-target species will be quantified using the
``Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology'' developed as part of the
national bycatch initiative. Selectivity by size will be estimated
using the ratios of cumulative size distributions from the baseline
observer samples to the cumulative size distribution of redfish in
NEFSC trawl surveys during the same period. Data will be entered into
Excel and uploaded into the DMR biological database (MARVIN) and then
transferred to NMFS and other project partners.
The initial experimental fishing activity is scheduled to start in
March 2011. Ten experimental fishing days are planned over two trips of
5 days each. This initial phase will be completed by the end of April
2011. Based on the data gathered through this effort, the next 30
experimental fishing days would be allocated among the remaining three
quarters of the year. It is possible that, after the initial 10 days,
the project partners will decide 4-inch mesh is not ideal, and a larger
mesh might be selected for the remaining trials. All experimental
fishing activity is scheduled to be complete by April 2012.
If approved, the applicants may request minor modifications and
extensions to the EFP throughout the course of research. EFP
modifications and extensions may be granted without further public
notice if they are deemed essential to facilitate completion of the
proposed research and result in only a minimal change in the scope or
impacts of the initially approved EFP request.
In accordance with NAO Administrative Order 216-6, a Categorical
Exclusion or other appropriate National Environmental Policy Act
document would be completed prior to the issuance of the EFP. Further
review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination
is made to issue the EFP. After publication of this document in the
Federal Register, the EFP, if approved, may become effective following
the public comment period.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 3, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-5236 Filed 3-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
